![]() ![]() The Elite can control these, with some restrictions - Sony doesn’t permit third-party devices to toggle power on the PS4, for instance, which is a bummer. One hitch is the small but important list of products that have Bluetooth remotes and no IR windows, like the PS4 and Wii U. There’s an IR sensor on the Harmony Elite’s underside if you run into a device that you need to manually "learn," but I would be shocked if you ever have to do this. I added my obscure $19 HDMI switcher made by a generic brand I’d never heard of, and sure enough, it was already in there. You can call the activities whatever you want, choose icons for them, and exact granular control over the functions of every button on the remote, but most activities have a default setup that works pretty well.Īdding devices sounds like a pain, but it’s not, because Harmony’s crown jewel is its hilariously large database of remote-controllable devices. The fundamental paradigm of programming a Harmony remote is the same as always: first you add your devices - your TV, amp, cable box, Roku, PlayStation, and so on - then you use those devices to create "activities" like "Watch TV," "Watch Netflix," "Play a game," and the like. From here, you’ll press a pairing button on the back of the Hub, choose a Wi-Fi network for the Hub to permanently connect to, and you’re off to the races. Happily, that dumpster fire of an app seems to be history, as you can now take care of the remote’s setup using the much more tolerable Harmony app on iOS or Android.ĭropping the remote in the charging dock will cause the screen to illuminate, telling you to fire up that mobile Harmony app. Using it is like punching yourself in the face. This used to be every Harmony owner’s dread: Logitech has relied on a truly God-awful downloadable Windows / Mac app based on Silverlight (yes, Silverlight) for as long as I can remember. Once you drop the Hub somewhere in your A/V rack and connect one or both of the remote IR blasters as necessary, you’re ready for the setup phase. (Yes, the remote still has an IR window of its own, but you may find that you never need to use it.) Adding devices sounds like a pain, but it’s not This means you can change volume from another room and hide your ugly set-top boxes in a cabinet. This last bit is critical: the remote in your hand doesn’t need line of sight to any of your devices, as long as the Hub or one of its remote IR blasters does. But the Hub is a pretty killer sidekick to the remote: it functions as an IR blaster and can control two additional wired remote IR blasters, it connects to your home Wi-Fi, it has support for home automation protocols so you can control smart bulbs, sockets, thermostats, and the like, and it communicates with the remote via RF. I know what you’re thinking, because I’ve been there before myself - this already sounds too complicated. ![]()
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